Hamas attack at music festival led to chaos and frantic attempts to escape or hide
Hamas militants attacked a large music festival in the desert near the Gaza-Israel border, killing at least 260 people and causing chaotic escape efforts as revelers tried to run or hide from gunfire
JERUSALEM (AP) — The outdoor Tribe of Nova music festival was meant to be an all-night dance party in a rural area near the Gaza-Israel border, where thousand of young people would celebrate the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
But it became a site of deadly chaos when Hamas militants attacked the festival in the desert area early Saturday, killing an estimated 260 people. Terrified revelers tried to run and hide from the gunfire, according to an Israeli rescue organization, news outlets and accounts on social media.
The Israeli rescue service Zaka said paramedics have removed about 260 bodies from the music festival, with the figure expected to rise as teams continue working to clear the area. Festival organizers said in a statement on social media they were assisting security forces to help locate missing people who attended the event.
The attack on the music festival was part of the larger assault on Israel by Hamas fighters who blew through a fortified border fence in an unprecedented surprise attack that began Saturday.